Orange Liqueur Taste Test

Orange Liqueur Taste Test 10 comments

A Cadillac Margarita has 3 main ingredients. Previous posts have discussed the best tequilas, and a recipe for all fresh margarita mix. But what’s the best orange liqueur? Velda and I happily accepted the assignment.

The taste test was done with a standard 6/4/3 recipe (tequila/mix/orange liqueur). All margaritas were made with Marquez de Valencia reposado and fresh margarita mix.

Five liqueurs were tasted, and here are their rankings:

Grand Marnier – Every premium margarita recipe specifies it, and they are correct. Best orange flavor.
Cointreau – Not as intense as Grand Marnier, but it’s still a good orange flavor. Not as much depth in my opinion.
Grand Imperial – Interesting alternative flavor. Not as smooth, but good for a change of pace.
Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur – Nice citrus flavor, but a bit sharp for my taste. Probably good in some recipes … we improved the drink with a dash of blood orange syrup. Velda enjoyed this with a Chinese Chicken Salad; the citrus was very complementary.
Triple Sec – Almost flavorless! Not a part of a good margarita.

I had people tell me that Cointreau was the best of a “classic” margarita taste, and it was definitely part of a good drink. I’m finding Cointreau at the same price as Grand Marnier, though, go for the Grand Marnier, every time.